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Style, elegance and all that’s chic
Nedra Wickremesinghe looks at how Italy has revolutionised the world of haute couture
Riotous prints, electric shades and eye-catching combos, animal prints on chiffon, metallic leather biker jackets, laser-cut suede, embroidered and beaded jeans -this is Italian fashion. Then think of legendary diva Sophia Loren, the undisputable icon of Italian elegance.

The Italian fashion industry has such a wide spectrum in fashions to offer from glam rock to dramatic couture fit for stage and movies to minimalistic subdued elegance that it has taken the world of haute couture and pret-a-porter by storm. The world's glitz-loving celebs love nothing better than to be seen stepping out in their favourite Italian designer outfit.

Come September, it will be time for the next Spring Summer 2005 Milano Moda Donna. The world's fashion press and celebrities will descend on Italy's fashion capital for the shows to be held from September 25 to October 3. Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Alberta Ferretti, Egon von Furstemberg and Marco Coretti are some of the famous designers who will showcase the changing trends of Italian fashion at these gala events.

Italian fashion has thus come a long way from the time of playing second fiddle to French fashion. At the time Cocoa Chanel revolutionized the fashion world with her little black dress (LBD), Paris became the fashion mecca and so began the journey to Paris by many young, adventurous and aspiring fashion designers from all over the world.

The likes of Valentino worked in Paris for Jean Desses and Guy Larouche during the fifties and in 1957 he opened an atelier in Rome's via Condotti, which became the meeting place for members of the dolce vita. Since then, Valentino has dressed the world's most famous women from Sophia Loren to Nancy Reagan, Brooke Shields and Sharon Stone. Farah Diba, wife of the Shah of Iran fled from her country wearing Valentino and Jacqueline Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis in an ivory dress made by him.

Salvatore Ferragamo left for the US in 1914. In Santa Barbara, California he opened a store selling boots for Westerns. When his footwear became famous he opened his first boutique in Florence in 1927. His clientele came from London, Paris and New York. His wedge heels and roman sandals were worn by Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, and even heads of state.

In the 60s and 70s, designers like Giorgio Armani shot to fame, first by presenting their collection of men's and women's prêt-a-porter. He invented the destructured jacket and took the ceremony out of the evening dress, accompanying it with low-heels or gym shoes. Armani went on to win many fashion Oscars.

Gianfranco Ferre started by designing belts and costume jewellery. By the 1980s he was on his way designing fur collections, prêt-a-porter and his own line of perfume. He is defined as the 'architect of fashion' for revolutionizing the white shirt, changing it from a basic element in a man's wardrobe to a woman's weapon of seduction and for spearheading the sophisticated design of collar and cuffs.

From the 80s to the 90s, the clothing business grew rapidly with most firms diversifying into secondary lines like men's wear, children's wear, knitwear and lingerie. Relatively unknown names that were unheard a few decades ago, such as Enrico Coveri, Luciano Soprani, Moschino, Max Mara and Benetton soon became fashion leaders.

In the new millennium fashion is taken even more seriously. Realizing that only a sophisticated fusion of this kind can stand up to a global market, Italian designers are reaching for dizzy heights. The world of luxury is the target of firms such as Gucci, Prada, Lttierre, Ronchi, Burani and Hdp - Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali (fashion, publishing, sportswear, communication and multimedia).

Looking back at the history of Italian fashions, during the first decade of the last century, the radical changes in industrial society also affected Italy. Role models came from the more industrialized countries like France, Great Britain, the United States - through photographs, magazines and the cinema.The French exported their style, taste, models, cuts and fabrics to the rest of Europe, and Italy kept up with the social change and adapted styles to reflect that theme. Paying tribute to the liberation of styles and culture in 1851 was Guiseppe Verdi in his aria for Rigoletto 'la donna e' mobile`. It was meant to warn women of the beginning of the industrial era.

The new Italian style looked to its own artistic and regional roots to compete. Italian couturiers turned to the great works of art and their exceptional forms, colours, signs and lines. Details of works of art by Michelangelo, Raphael and also from museums inspired the couturiers.

Industrialization in Italy had already been underway for about thirty years at the start of the twentieth century. In the years that followed, Italian couturiers began to make avant-garde choices: from fabrics to cuts, from the daring and sublime elegance of dresses as works of art and of status symbols to ready-to-wear fashion that could equally be worn in New York or Sydney.

Thus haute couture moved from the white rooms in Florence to Rome and Milan. Today, Italian fashion is an important business concern, but also part of a strong tradition. The artistic creativity and impeccable technique of the craftsmen and the fashion industry is very much an integral part of Italy's cultural heritage. And so come September, the world's fashionistas will head for Milan.

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